Sitting in my booth I look at the faces of those around me.
There’s pain, frustration, and anger on some. Sorrow, loss, and despair on others.
Some bodies have missing parts; some bodies don’t work at all anymore.
So much to see.
An underlying camaraderie permeates this place.
We all swore to protect our country, our rights, and our freedoms- with our very lives we took that oath.
An oath that took away some of those freedoms…
We did it for different reasons; some made a career of it, some just did their time, but we gave our best.
Soaring above all emotions is pride; for ourselves and our country. We were willing to die for our country.
Many did give their lives.
We are here and we remember them…
**Written by Hilary Hellums on 11/20/03 while having lunch at the VA hospital cafeteria.
Revised 5/7/15